Rotary spring-fitting machine.



G. A. SPENCER.

ROTARY SPRlNG FITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1916.

1,224,571, Patented May 1, 1917 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- G. A. SPENCER.

ROTARY SPRING FITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22. 1916.

1,224,577 Patented May 1, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- TINTT TATE PATENT @FFTQ.

GEORGE A. SPENCER, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB. OF ONE-THIRD '10 IDA GLENN, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.-

ROTARY SPRING-FITTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

Application filed September 22, 1916. Serial No. 121,697.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen A. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Spring-Fitting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a machine for bending and tempering automobile and various other vehicle springs, and an object of the invention is the provision of a rotary machine of this nature that will be both rapid and eflicient in operation, will be composed of comparatively few parts so that the machine will be inexpensive; also a machine of this nature that will automatically release the tempered springs, after they have been lifted from the tempering liquid, and automatically discharge the springs onto a suitable conveyer.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the, accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the rotary spring fitting machine, constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the machine,

Fig. 3 is a detail view, showing the manner of connecting the supports for the table to the shaft.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the guides for one of the connecting rods of the plungers,

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken through the elements of the clutch for locking the driving element to the operatingshaft.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the

numeral 1 designates a shaft, which has its opposite ends flattened, as at 2, and secured to the upper end of concrete posts 3. The shaft 1 extends transversely across the top of a tank 4, the said tank 4 being adapted to contain a suitable tempering liquid, such as oil, water or the like. The shaft 1 is provided with a central enlarged portion 5, that is shaped to conform to the configuration of a cam, having its upper face, designated 6, curved on a greater are than the lower face 7. The upper face 6 will be hereinafter referred to as the inactive face, and the lower face 7 will be referred to as the active face. The points of communication between the inactive face 6 and the active face 7 provide points 8 and 9, the point 8 being disposed slightly below the upper edge of the tank 4 and the point 9 being disposed above the upper edge of the tank 4, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. A rotary carrier designated, as an entirety, by the numeral 10 is operable within the tank 4 and consists of a plurality of radially extending tables, designated respectively, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. The tables are to support spring bending forms of the usual construction employed for bending springs placed within the form at a red heat, the springs being bent or bowed when the forms are closed. Each table has associated'therewith a pair of supporting legs 16. The supporting legs 16 have their inner ends provided with bearing plates 17, which engage bearing portions 18 formed on the shaft 1 at points adjacent to and spaced inwardly from the sides of the tank 4, as shown in Fig. 1

of the drawings. The bearing plates 17 of the supporting members 16 have flanges, as shown in Fig. 3, so that adjacent bearing plates can be connected to provide a collar for receiving the adjacent bearing portion 18 on the shaft 1. Each table is equipped at the outer portion with a transverse flange 19 constituting a stop and between which and a form closing plunger 20, is to be placed a spring bending form of usual construction. The plunger consists of a rectangular shaped plate slidable in guides 21 carried by the opposite ends of the table 11 and pivoted to one end of a rod 22. The rod 22 is slidable between rollers 23, which are journaled in opposed lugs 24, carried by the table, and the inner end of the rod 22 is provided with a roller 25 which engages the portion 5 of the shaft 1. During rotation of the carrier 10, the tables 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 will be successively submerged in the tempering liquid in the tank 4. In Fig. 2 of the drawings, the-table 11 is shown in horizontal position and the adjacent plunger in form -opening position to admit of a spring being placed within the form. When rotation is imparted to the carrier 10, so as to cause the table 11 to descend, the roller will contact with the'point 8 on the cam 5 and this engagement between the point 8 and the roller 25 will effect the outward movement of the plunger 20' to form closing position and effect bending of the spring within the form. Upon continued rotation of the carrier 10, so as to submerge the table 11 in the tempering liquid, the roller on that plunger 20 which is associated with the table 11, will engage along the active face 7 of the cam 5 and retain the plunger in form closing position. The plunger will assume this outward position on the table 11 until the table 11 is moved to the position assumed by the table 14 in Fig. 2. When the table 11 is in this position the roller 25, and the plunger carried by the table 11, will have passed the point 9 on the cam 5 and entered on the inactive face 6 and the plunger 20 will move inwardly and effect opening of the form so that the spring can drop therefrom. In Fig. 2 of the drawings, the table 14 is shown in spring releasing position, with the plunger moved inwardly. The released spring drops on a resiliently mounted platform 26, which consists of a compound curved plate pivoted to the upper edge of one of the end walls of the tank 4. One end of the platform extends inwardly and overlies the interior of the tank 4 and is disposed in the path of rotation of the tables of the carrier 10, and the other end of the platform projects exteriorly of the tank and has connection with one end of a compressive spring 27, the opposite end of the spring having connection with the adjacent end wall of the tank 4. During the rotation of the carrier 10, each table as it is raised from the tank, will engage the inner end of the platform 26 andraise the same so as to admit of the passageof the table beyond the platform 26. After the platform is released from the table, the same returns to normal position, as shown in Fig 2. WVhen that table that has just been withdrawn from the tank 4 reaches the position assumed by the table 14 in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the tempered spring on the table will be released and will drop onto the inner end of the platform 26. The spring remains on the platform until the next succeeding platform is raised from the tank and engages the inner end of the platfrom and raises the same, this raising of the inner end of the platform effecting a discharge of the spring thereon onto a suitable conveyer, not shown, or any other receiving element. The spring 27 serves to return the platform to normal position after discharge of the spring, and also absorbs the shockcaused by the impact of the, tempered springs against the platform.

The mechanismfor rotating the carrier 10 consists of a relatively large gear 28, which is secured to adjacent table supporting legs 16' at one side of the carrier 10. This gear 28 meshes with a smaller gear 29, which is carried by the inner end of a shaft 30, the said shaft 30being journaled in bearings 31 and 32 carried, respectively, by the supporting element 3 and a support 33. A pulley wheel 34 is loosely mounted on the shaft 30 and is adapted to be connected by means of a belt to a suitable source of power, such as an engine Or an electric motor. A clutch designated by the numeral 35 is adapted to lock the pulley 34 to the shaft 30 so as to effect rotation of the shaft. Then the shaft 30 is rotated the carrier 10 will be rotated to successively submerge the tables in the tempering liquid. The gears 28 and 29 are so proportioned that a complete rotation of the gear 29 will efiect a fifth of a revolution of the carrier 10. v The clutch is so constructed that at each revolution of the shaft 30, the clutch will automatically release the pulley 34, so as to effect an intermittent rotation of the carrier 10. The clutch consists of companion elements 36 and 37, the element 36 being keyed to the shaft 30' and the element 37 carried by the pulley 34. The element 36 has a peripheral groove 38 therein and a transversely extending recess 39 that communicates at one-point with the groove 38 by means of a radially extending passage 40. The element 37 is disposed opposite and in spaced relation with the element36, and has that face that opposes the inner face of the element 36 provided with a recess 41. A pin 42 is slidably mounted within the recess 39 in the clutch element 36 and has its inner end provided with a socket that receives one end of an expansion helical spring 43. The spring 45 tends to force the pin 42 outward and when the said pin is forced outward the outer end thereof is received by therecess 41 in the clutch element 37 and locks the pulley 34 to the shaft 30, so as to cause the shaft 30 to be rotated. An operatinglever 44 is 10- catedat that side of the machine Where the operating mechanism is located and is pivoted to a vertical upright 45. The inner end of the lever 44 is extended upwardly, as at 46, and terminally curved downwardly, as shown at 47. The terminal of the downwardly curved portion 47 normally lies within the groove 38 and is adapted, at every complete revolution of the element 36, or when the passage 40 in the element 36 that communicates the groove 38 and the recess 39, is brought beneath the terminal, to gravitate into the passage 40 and enter the recess 39 and engage in a recess 48 in the pin 42. Theinner side wall of the recess 48 in the pin 42 is beveled, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, and when the terminal of" the downwardly curved end 47 of the operating lever 44 engages the beveled wall the pin.

42 will be moved inwardly so as to withdraw the outer end of the pin from the opening 4L1 in the clutch element 37 so as to disengage the clutch elements 36 and 37 and stop rotation of the shaft 80. As before stated, the gears 28 and 29 are so proportioned that a complete rotation of the shaft 30 and gear 29 will effect a fifth of a revolution of the carrier 10, this being suflicient to lower that table that is assuming a horizontal position, and upon which the spring to be bent and tempered has been placed, downwardly into the tank 4. When it is desired to again connect the clutch elements 36 and 37 the lever 44 is depressed so as to raise the curved end 4:7 out of the passage &'0 in the element 36, thereby releasing the pin 42, allowing the spring 43 to forcethe pin 42 outwardly so that the outer end thereof will engage in the recess 4-2 in the element a7 and lock the pulley 34 to the shaft 80, so as to efiect rotation of the shaft. The lever is then released and the terminal of the curved end will enter the groove 38 and remain therein until the passage to is presented beneath the terminal of the dmvnwardl y curved end of the operatv ing lever, which will again admit of the end of the lever gravitating through the passage l0 and engaging in the recess in the pin 42 and so as to move the pin inwardly and effect stopping of the machine.

It is evident that various changes might be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein described and claimed.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. A machine of the class described comprising a tank, a rotary carrier mounted 011 a horizontal axis for rotation over the tank and including a plurality of radially extending tables for supporting spring bending forms, and adapted to be successively moved into the tank during rotation of the carrier, each of the tables having a plunger asso ciated therewith adapted to close the spring bending form upon movement of the table into the tank and to efieet opening of the form upon the removal of the table from the tank, and a movable resiliently mounted spring-receiving platform mounted on the tank and lying in the path of rotation of the tables of the carrier, for the purpose specified.

2. A machine of the class described comprising a tank, a stationary shaft extending across the tank and having a central cam surface thereon, a rotary carrier mounted on the shaft and including a plurality of tables adapted to be successively moved into the tank and each having a pair of supporting legs lying, respectively, on opposite sides of the cam surface on the shaft, a gear disposed within the tank and located at one side of the carrier and secured to certain of the supporting legs, spring bending form closing elements mounted on the tables, rods carried by the elements and having rollers thereon for operatively engaging the cam surface on the shaft so as to effect movement of the elements when the carrier is rotated, a rotatable shaft having one end extending into the tank, and a gear on the mentioned end of the rotatable shaft and meshing with the gear on the carrier so as to rotate the carrier when the rotatable shaft is operated.

3. A machine of the class described comprising a tank, a rotary carrier mounted for rotation over the tank and including a plurality of radially extending tables for supporting spring bending forms and adapted to be successively moved into the tank during rotation of the carrier, each table having spring bending form closing means associated therewith and adapted to be moved to operative position upon the movement of the table into the tank and to be moved to inoperative position upon withdrawal of the table from the tank, and a spring-receiving and projecting element pivotally mounted on the upper end of the tank and normally lying in the path of rotation of the table, and adapted to be successively engaged by the tables during their withdrawal from the tank, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. SPENCER. Witnesses:

VERNoN F. HELM, DANIEL LANDON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

